Knitting cruise on tour - Dommeldal Library

Dommeldal Library organises Knitting Cruise on tour crafting and catching up together during the winter months

Dommeldal Library is organising a knitting cruise at its library branches in Sterksel (14 January), Heeze (18 February) and Leende (18 March). Will you sail with us across the Mediterranean? For an evening of cosy knitting.

First evening - Mediterranean on 14 January
Marleen has designed a variant of the Sophie scarf, the Mechtilda, for the first evening. The Sophie is a narrow, long scarf, made of a thin fluffy wool. Or of mohair with silk, the luxury variant. The scarf scores high marks on knitting and crochet forum Ravelry (this is English-speaking, but there are forums that are completely Dutch-speaking. By the way, the pattern of the Sophie scarf is also translated into Dutch and for sale on this website. The original design is by Petit Knit, a Danish designer).

It doesn't take much yarn, the Mechtilda is quick to make, and easy for experienced knitters to adapt to their own needs. So it's a fun in-between project.

During the evening, you bring your own yarn and knitting needles. You will receive the pattern of the Mechtilda. Of course, you can also work on something completely different, as long as it is easy and you can chat about it.

The evening begins with setting up the Mechtilda. After half an hour, everyone is busy and the cruise can begin. Marleen takes you along North African countries, where the oldest remains of knitted textiles have been found. These include socks. Along Coptic and Turkish socks, we then travel to beautiful, fine knitwear given in a tomb along in Spain. And we end with a demonstration of Portuguese knitting techniques.

Second evening - Baltic on 18 February
Marleen designed a fingerless mitt for the second evening, the Rosi, which is decorated with a Latvian braid and a technique from Estonia, roosimine. These are both colouring techniques. Not much yarn is needed, the Rosi is quick to make, and easy for an experienced knitter to adapt to their own needs. So a nice in-between project.

During the evening, you bring your own 2 colours of yarn and knitting needles, preferably needles that allow you to knit in circles. You will receive the pattern for the Rosi.

Of course, you can also work on something completely different, as long as it is easy and you can listen and chat about it.

The evening begins with setting up the Rosi. After 45 minutes, everyone is busy and the cruise can begin. Marleen takes you along Denmark, where knitting is said to have been introduced by the king's mistress (she brought Dutch craftsmen to Denmark to knit socks for him). Then we go to the Baltic States, where wealthy 19th-century sailors passed by by (cruise) boat in summer and enjoyed wrapping a nice lace scarf in the evening. In Finland, there is still plenty of knitting going on and they sometimes even work on one jumper with three people at the same time. We will try this out (if there are no volunteers, they can be assigned, the leadership thinks). And in Sweden, we finish with a special, extra warm technique called ‘twining’. As an afterthought, a wine to twine! But maybe this programme is too full, in which case we'll just look at the pictures.

Third evening - North Sea on 18 March

It's spring already!

Marleen has designed a slightly larger project for the third evening, the Lisa, a sleeveless jumper. There is an English version, inspired by the clothing of Landgirls in World War II; a Norwegian version, with Easter symbols or Danish version, inspired by the colourful chicken knitting of the 1970s - Honsestrik.

During the evening itself, we will knit a patch with a motif of our own design. Marleen will bring Royal yarn (acrylic), for needle 4 and 5. And drawing paper to match the stitch ratio of this yarn. You may bring your own needles. (So between 4 and 5 mm).

The evening starts with an explanation of the Honsestrikken and the design of your own patterns. You can knit them this evening with the Royal yarn. After half an hour, everyone is busy and the cruise can begin. Along the Dutch coast, to admire the fishermen's and skipper's jumpers. A quick trip to Denmark, as in the 19th century many women there wore star jumpers. In Norway, there was and is also a lot of knitting (an Easter jumper is very popular there) and from there, the boat is right on the Shetland Islands, where knitting has provided an extra income for centuries. Via Ireland and Celtic cables, we'll quickly sail to Iceland.It's spring already!

Marleen has designed a slightly larger project for the third evening, the Lisa, a sleeveless jumper. There is an English version, inspired by the clothing of Landgirls in World War II; a Norwegian version, with Easter symbols or Danish version, inspired by the colourful chicken knitting of the 1970s - Honsestrik.

During the evening itself, we will knit a patch with a motif of our own design. Marleen will bring Royal yarn (acrylic), for needle 4 and 5. And drawing paper to match the stitch ratio of this yarn. You may bring your own needles. (So between 4 and 5 mm).

The evening starts with an explanation of the Honsestrikken and the design of your own patterns. You can knit them this evening with the Royal yarn. After half an hour, everyone is busy and the cruise can begin. Along the Dutch coast, to admire the fishermen's and skipper's jumpers. A quick trip to Denmark, as in the 19th century many women there wore star jumpers. In Norway, there was and is also a lot of knitting (an Easter jumper is very popular there) and from there, the boat is right on the Shetland Islands, where knitting has provided an extra income for centuries. Via Ireland and Celtic cables, we'll quickly sail to Iceland.

Of course, you can also bring your own craft project, you are welcome.

Don't like knitting but would like to come? You are welcome, but the first and last half-hour will be less interesting then.

Times: 18.30 - 21.00 hrs.

• Tuesday 14 January | Sterksel (library/De Huiskamer) | Dorpshuis Valentijn
• Tuesday 18 February | Heeze (at the back of the library) | Dorpshuis ‘t Perron
• Tuesday 18 March | Leende (in the library) | Dorpshuis De Schammert

Entrance: €5 per evening (please bring your own yarn and knitting needles, for travelling)

Tickets can be reserved via: www.bibliotheekdommeldal.nl/activiteiten